Work feeding apparatus



June 7,1938. A w, CAMRO'N y 2,119,665

WORK FEEDING APPARATUS Filed May 19,11934 -4` Sheets-Sheet l 1- .1" L11 i E :V-

June 7, 1938.

W. CAMERON WORK FEEDING APPARATUS Filed May V19, 1934 4 sheets-sheet 2 June 7, 1938. i f w CAMERON 2,119,665

' v woax FEEDING APPARATUS June 7, 1938 w. lcMAERoN 2,119,665

WORK FEEDING APPARATUS Fileduay 19; 1934 `-4, Sheng-sheet 4 1 Patented June 7, 19138 UNITED STATES" woax FEEDING APPARATUS William Cameron, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Cameron Can Machinery Co., Ghicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application MayAl-9, 1934, Serial No. 726,445

This invention relates in general to can closing machines and the embodiment illustrated is a vacuum pack machine of the double seaming I Machines of this type heretofore-in use have employed only a small vacuum chamberl at the double seaming station. 'I'he filled body with the cap resting loosely thereon'was introduced into this chamber and immediately moved into l0 cooperative relation with the double seaming mechanism, with the result that only an exceedingly small increment of time was allowed for drawing a vacuum on the interior of the can, and the production of the desired vacuum within the II can was further impeded by the fact that the cap even before being clamped against the body rested mcre or less snugly thereon. Because of these conditions the vacuum produced in the can beg fore it was sealed varied in degree and was at n best somewhat uncertain.

One of the purposes and advantages of my present invention is the provision of a large vacuumchamber'in which the can bodies will be subjected to vacuum for. a considerable period of time before being sealed, an'd furthermore durin g this period the can end is maintained in spaced relation 'with respect to the body so that it will not impede or interfere withthe produc- .tion of a uniform vacuum of high degree in every can before it-is sealed. V

Since can clonng machines of this character are employed for closing cans containing liquid contents as well as dry contents, it is desirable that the filled can be handled, beforeit is sealed, very gently as any sudden movements or change of direction will cause siopping and spilling of the contents. Another purpose of my invention, therefore, is to bring the filled cans to the double seamlng station without shock, jar or sudden movements, thereby obviating the slopping and spilling which is highly objectionable.

Another obiectof the invention is to., provide a machine which may operate continuously irrespective of the regularity with whichthe filled can bodies arefed to the. machine, butwhich will be automatically stoppedso as to prevent damage in the event that any spider pocket is not supplied with a can end before the pocket arrives at the can body receiving position. My invention contemplates also control mechanism which precludes the feeding of a can end into a pocket in which an end is-allfe'adyv contained.

Other features of my invention reside in improvements in the construction of the dollilev I seaming mechanism and other parts of the ma- .can end feeding mechanism;

the line |2-I2 7 Claims. A( (Jl. IIL-114) chine, and in the general assembly and combination of mechanisms which enable the machine to operate with great rapidity, high efliciency, and with a minimum of attention, the construc- 'tion being such that access to all the parts for inspectiona'nd repair had.

Other-objects and advantages of my invention 'wilibe readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection -with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line I-I of Flg.'4;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary-elevation viewed from the opposite side of the machine from Fig. 1, the feed conveyor being removed;

Fig. 3-is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the machine;

purposes maybe readily Fig. 5 is atransverse sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig.. 6 is a fragmentary sectional on the line 8-6 of Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a similar view taken on'the line l-l of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a similar fragmentary view taken on the line .-8 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken-on the line I--O of Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a similar view Il-Il of Fig. 6;

Fig..11 is a diagrammatic view of the.- electric circuit including the mechanism-'for breaking the 1 circuit to stop the machine upon failure of the view taken taken on' the line Fig. 12 is a transverse sectional view taken on of Fig. 4, the vacuum chamber being removed;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view takenaxially of the seamingvhead on the line |3|3 of Fig. 14;

Fig.` 14 is a horizontal sectionalview the seaming head Fig. 13; and

through talen on the line Il-ll of Fig. l5 is afragmentary vertical sectional view v takenon the line lS-ii ofFlg. 14.

Referring to the drawings more in detail and with particular reference to Figs. 1 and 4 it will be observed that the machine comprises generally an elongated frame including a base portion I6 surmounted at one end by an upper portion I'I upon the top 'of which the driving motor i0- is mounted, the various operating mechanismsof the machine being suitably mounted in or carried by this frame structure, as will be later explained more in detail.

The motor I8 constitutes the source of power for operating the var-ious mechanisms and the lower end of its shaft is equipped with a driving pinion I9 meshing with a gear 2| fixed, together with a similar gear 22 of slightly smaller diameter, upon a hub or sleeve 23 which is splined to thevertically disposed hollow shaft 24 which is journaled in upper and lower bearings 25 and 2B, respectively, carried by the frame structure, and is` provided at its lower end with a beveled pinion 21 meshing in driving relation with a beveled gear 28 in turn fixed upon the main drive shaft 29 journaled in` and extending longitudinally of the supporting frame structure.

Intermediate its ends the vertical shaft 24 is equipped with a worm 3l which drives a worm wheel 32 fixed on the shaft 33 extending transversely ofthe machine and provided at its far end, viewing Fig. 1, with a sprocket wheel over which the endless conveyor 34 (Fig. 4) is trained and by which the iilled can bodies 35 are fed in succession to the left, viewing Fig. 4, from the 'machine by which the opertrtop, cans 'or bodies have been filled. The conveyor is continuously actuated, bringing the filled cans in succession to a point opposite the pusher 36 by which the bodies are delivered to the spider or turret 31 in the following manner.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be observed that the pusher 36 is carried by an arm 38 in turn supported upon a post 39 which is carried at one end of a slide bar 4I adapted to be reciprocated transversely of the machine. A lguide bar 42 secured by bolts 43, or otherwise, to the bottom of bar'4l is guided in its reciprocatory movements` ina guide-way indicated generally by reference character 44. Reciprocatory movements are imparted to the slide bar by a connecting rod 45 (Figs. 3 and 5) connected with the bar by a bolt 46 and at its other end to a crank pin 41 carried by a crank 48 fixed upon the upper end of a, vertically disposed shaft 49. This shaft is provided at its lower end with a beveled gear 5I (Fig. l) which is driven from a companion gear 52 fixed on the horizontal drive shaft 29. At each revolution ofthe shaft 49 a complete reciprocation of the lslide bar 4I is effected to transfer a filledcan body laterally from the conveyor 34 on to a lifting chuck beneath the turret spider as Willnow be explained.

In proximity to the conveyor and in the line of the pusher 36 is disposed a vertically reciprocable chuck head 53 mounted upon the upper end of a rod or post 54 adapted to reciprocate in suitable bearings 55, the post being elevated at timed intervals by the lever. 56 fulcrumed at 51 and yieldingly actuated to elevate the chuck by a spring 58. The lever is positively actuated in the opposite direction to lower the chuck by a cam 59 against which the cam follower 6I is held by the spring 58, the: cam 59 being mounted upon a shaft 62 (Figs. 1 and 2) which is driven through a chain 63 from the transverse shaft 64. .The shaft 64 is driven from shaft 29 through a pair Aof meshing beveled gears 65 and 66, respectively.

The cam 59 is designed to dispose the upper face of the chuck 53 on aV level with -the conveyor 34at the time the pusher 36 is being moved to the left,`viewing' Fig. 5, to slide the Alled can V'body 35 on to the chuck. The transfer of the bodv'fromthe conveyor on to the chuck is effected while the body is being carried forward by the conveyor so that no abrupt stopping of the travel or abruptV change of direction is pro- The turret comprises a stationary plate 61v (Figs. 5 and 12) forming the bottom of the turret above which mounted concentrically therewith upon the upper end of the vertical shaft 68 is disposed the spider 31 provided with a series of radially arranged can body receiving recesses or pockets 69. Immediately above the chuck 53 the plate 61 is cut away so `as to provide an opening for the reception of the can bodies. AS a body is moved from the conveyor on to the chuck 53 and is elevated by this chuck it enters the opening in the plate 61 and one of the pockets 69, as illustrated in Fig. 12, so that upon rotation of the spider 31 the body is carried along thereby off' from the chuck 53 onto the plate -61.

The spider is rotated in a step by step movement by mechanism best illustrated in Figs. l and 3. From these figures it will be'seen that the spider 31 is bolted to a collar 1I fixed upon the upper end of shaft 68 which carries intermediate its ends the driven wheel 12A of a Geneva motion, the driving member of which comprises a pin 13 carried by an arm 14 fixed on the shaft 49 so that with each revolution of shaft 49 a partial rotation of shaft 68 and the spider 31 carried thereby is produced.

'I'he intermittent movement of the' spiderV takes place in a counterclockwise direction, viewing Figs. 4, 6 and 7, and the can bodies delivered to the turret from the feed-in conveyor are moved by the spider into the vacuum chamber where the caps aredouble seamed on to the body in a manner which will be later explained.

Before the bodies are delivered into their respective pockets of the spider, each pocket has been suppliedwith a can end adapted to be double seamed on to the body. The mechanism for supplying the spider pockets with ends is besi illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, from which it will be observed that the ends, indicated by reference character 15, are stacked in a magazine above a reciprocatory slide 16by which the ends are transferred in succession from the magazine tc an aligned spider pocket. The details of 'the transfer slide and mechanism fcr separatingthf can ends from the magazine may be of any wellknown or preferred type and are not here illustrated. It 'is suilicient for present purposes t( state that the slide is reciprocated by means of f lever 11 fulcrumed upon the frame structure a 18, which lever receives'its feeding movemen from a. tractile spring 19 and is returned by a cam 8| on the shaft 62. At each actuation o slide 16 a can end is removed from the magazim and transferred to a position beneath the mark ing device 82 disposed above the path of trave of the ends. The lower face of the marking de vice is equipped with a marking die and at thi marking station the end is elevated by a chucl carried by the upper end` of plunger 83 into mark ingv engagement with the die. This plimger i From Figs. 6 and 12 it will be apparent that thet upper end of each spider pocket 69 is shaped to provide a pair of supporting guides 88 forming a supporting shoulder upon which an end is supported above and in alignment with a can'body. In order to hold the positioned ends against displacement from alignment with their corresponding bodies, spring pressed pivoted dogs 89 are employed, one at each side of the'supporting shoulder, the innei` ends of these dogs being urged toward each otherV by springs 9| (Figs. 6 and 9) to press against the can end outwardly of its centr, so as to urge the end into the pocket and retain it in that position. Beneath each shoulder 88 the socket is shaped to provide an upwardly tapered annular surface 92 which, as the can body is elevated, rounds up the body and centers it with respect to` the positioned end.

As the can bodies with their superposed ends Vare moved by the spider away from the chuck 53, they enter .the vacuum chamber in which the airis exhausted from the cans before the ends are double seamed thereon, as will presently appear. 'I'he vacuum chamber is formedby an air-tight housing partially encompassing the spider 31. A segment 93 olf this housing overlies the spider and is urged into hermetic sealing relation therewith `by springs 94 which press the segment -down A removable segment 95 of against the spider. the housing abuts the segment 93 to which it is clamped by bolts 96.` Upon removal of these bolts the segment 95 may be removed rto permit access to the enclosed seaming head. The bottom of the vacuum chamber is formed by the turret base plate 61 which is urged'against the lower face .of the spider by springs 91 (Fig. 1), one of which is-shown as being interposedbetween the lower face of the plate and an arm 98 adjustably supported by a collar 99 threaded upon the upper end of the shaft bearing |0|. A stud |02 carried by the arm cooperates with asocket in the rotation. y

Outside the perimeter of the 'spider the lower portion of the vacuum chamber is formed by a stationary segment |03 against which the removable segment 95 is urged into sealing relation by springs |04, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 1. A packing or seal ring |05 is interposed beplate to hold the plate against tween the springs 94 and |04 and the tops of the chamber` segments. 93 and 95 to insure an air seal at the top of the chamber. Vacuum is applied to the chamber through a pipe |06 connected with a conveniently located vacuum pump (not shown). 'Ihe vacuum chamber as a whole is urged'i'n sealing relation with the periphery of the spider by springs |01 actingagainst plungers |08 (Fig. 7) engaged with projections |09 from the chamber wall. .The plungers also serve as latches to hold the chamber in position. By re' 'are moved in succession into the vac'uum-chamf ber, they are brought over the chuck ||2 (Figs.

i tween the seaming chuc 1 and 6) by which they are elevated into cooperative relation with the seaming head above. 'I'his chuck, as will be seen from Fig. 1, is c arried upon the upper end of a lost motion stem comprising the sleeve ||3 andthe rod ||4 having a pin and slot connection ||5 with =an interposed spring H6, the yieldability of which protects the bodies and .the mechanism against injury from excessive upward movement of the stem,and,at the sametime insures a snug engagement with the seaming head. -The rod ||4 is actuated by a cam follower ||1 which is operated from a face cam ||8 mounted on the shaft 29. The chuck 2 has a close sliding fit with the surrounding guide walls so as to form a substantially air-tight seal around the chuck. During the travel of the can body within the vacuum chamber to the chuck |2 and during the elevation of the chuck, the body and its contents are subjected to the action of a vacuum so that when the cap is double seamed on to the body,forming a hermetic seal therefor, the contents of the can are sealed up under a substantial vacuum. Deteriorationof the can contents resulting from the presence of air inthe can is accordingly precluded.

` When the'body is elevated by the chuck H2,

the upper edge of the body engages and carries upwardly with itthe superposed can end 15, the body and end being snugly clamped together be- ||9 and the lifting chuck 2, the spring 6 serving to-insure such clamping action without injury to the can or end.

The seaming chuck is carried upon the lower end of a tube or sleeve |2| suspended within the vertical guide bearing |22. 'I'his sleeve is prof vided near its lower end with an annular shoulder I 23 supporting the lower race |24 of a ball bearing, the upper race |25 of -which supports the sleeve |26 surrounding the sleeve or tube |2`|. The seaming head block |21-is securely attached by rotated thereby. 'I'he sleeve |26 meshing with the driving gear 2|.

A second sleeve |29 carried by and rotatable relatively to the sleeve |26 is connected at its upper end to and is rotated with a gear |3| which meshes with and is driven by the drive gear 22. The lower end of sleeve |29 is outwardly flanged and shaped to provide a cam |32 which actuates the nal seaming rollers and a second rcam |33 xed to the sleeve |29 serves to actuate the pre 'liminary seaming rollersin a manner presently explained. A

.The head block |21 carries a pair ofopposite disposed parallel fulcrum pinsA |34 upon which the arms .|35 are respectively fulcrumed.A Each. of these arms carries at itsvlower end a primary seaming roll |36 adapted to cooperate with the chuck ||9 in performing the preliminary seaming operation, and at its upper epd a rotatable cam follower |31 engaging the face of the cam |33 by which the arms |35 are rocked on their fulcrums to move the seaming rolls |36 kinto operative relation to the chuck H9. The expansion springs |39 interposed between the'lower portion of the arm and the block |21 exert an outward thrust upon these arms in opposition to the thrust exerted by the cam |33.

The head block |21 carries also a second pair of oppositely disposed parallel fulcrum pins |39 upon which the arms |4| carrying the final seamofeac'h of thesev arms is provided with a cam follower |43 which is maintained in contact with ing rollers |42 are fulcrumed. The upper end ing |83 sealed can from the turret, the pusher |34 is car-1 the cam |32 by an expansion spring |44 similar to the springs |33. In order to provide for flexibility in the arms sufficient to prevent injury to the can bodies and caps, which might be produced by excessive pressure of the final seaming rollers |42', arms |4| are transversely cut as indicated at |45 (Fig. 13) and slight yieldability between the two thus separated portions of the arms is afforded by a strong expansion spring |46 inter- 22 and |3|. The timing and the contour of the cams |32 and |33 are such that the preliminary seaming rollers are moved toward the chuck ||3 to perform the preliminary seaming operation, whereupon these rollers are withdrawn and the final seaming rolle'rs |42 are brought into operation to complete the double seaming of the cap on to the body.

When the can has been closed under vacuum in the manner described, the chuck ||2 is lowered into the plane of the bottom plate 31 of the turret. To'insure that the end will be freed from the chuck IIS, a pusher or knock-out head |52 is carried in the -chuck I9 by the lower end of a rod |53 which receives a downward thrust to free the can end from the chuck simultaneously with the lowering of the chuck ||2. This movement of the knock-out rod |53 is effected by a lever |54 connected at |55 (Fig. 1) with the knock-out rod and fulcrumed at |53 upon the machine frame. The lever is oscillated by va. rod |51 extending downwardly through the hollow shaft 24 and provided at its lower end with a reciprocating head straddling the shaft 23 and carrying a laterally projecting cam follower |58 which travels in the cam race |59 of a face cam |6| keyed to the shaft 23.

When the chuck ||2 has been lowered into the plane of the base plate 31 of the turret, the closed can is moved by two successive movements of the spider into a position over a vertically reciprocable chuck |32 (Figs. 6, 7 and 12) which at such time is in its uppermost position in alignment with the plate 31 which is provided with an openfor the reception of the chuck similar to the opening on the opposite side for the reception of the elevating chuck 53. When the bodyhas been positioned upon the chuck |62, this chuck is lowered into the position shown in Fig. 12, thereby lowering the body into position to be engaged by a pusher |64 by which the body is pushed horizontally out of the turret.

It should be mentioned that for the purpose of insuring propr centering of the body and superposed end with respect to the seaming chuck ||3 when the body and end are elevated into seaming position by the chuck ||2, the lower face of the head block- |21 is' provided between the circumferentially spaced seaming rolls with arcuatei guide ribs |35 (Figs. 14` and 15) the inner faces of which are inclined or chamfered otI, as indicated at |63, to guide and center the cap and body in proper cooperative relation to the seaming chuck ||3.

Returning now to the delivery of the closed and ried, as will be apparent from Fig. 5, upon a post |83 fixed to the slide bar 4| which, as previously explained, also carries the pusher 33. Upon movement of this slide bar to the left viewing Fig. 5, not only will a can body be transferred by the pusher 33 from the conveyor 84 on to the chuck 53 as previously explained but simultane-l ously a closed can will be transferred from the chuck |62 on to an adjacent delivery conveyor I1|i which, as shown in Fig. 4, conveys the cans to the delivery end of the machine. The chuck |82 is carried upon a post |31 which is raised and lowered in suitable timed relation by an ordinaryl cam device, not shown. y

Since the lled can bodies may not be fed tov the machine with regularity and since the machine as a whole, including the turret spider, is continuously operated, it frequently happens that a spider pocket supplied with a can end but with no can body enters the vacuum chamber. In that event', no body being positioned upon the chuck H2, the elevation of this chuck will not displace the can end from its position in the spider and the seaming rolls will operate idly. 'The can' end, therefore, is carried out of the vacuum chamber by the spider and continues to travel around with the spider. When this pocket already supplied with a can end reaches a position in alignment with the can end feeding mechanism where it would normally be supplied with an end, provi.- sion is made to preclude the delivery ofanother end to this already supplied pocket or otherwise obviously damaging results would ensue. With rod |83 is moved downwardly into the pocket. I

Thismovement is effected by a spring |1| which pulls downwardly upon that end of a lever |12 which is attached to the lower end of rod |38.

The lever is fulcrumed on the frame structure at |13 and is equipped with a camfollower |14 which rides upon a cam.|15. Beyond its fulcrum this lever is extended as shown at |18 into the path of an abutment |11 carried bythe cap feed slide operating lever 11.

If, as would normally happen, the feeler `finger encounters no cap in the spider socket, the lever |12 is permitted by its cam to be 'rocked in a counterclockwise direction, viewing Fig. 1, sumciently low to clear the extension in the path of the abutment' |11, In that event a normal cap feeding operation will be performed. Should,

however, the feeler finger |33 contact a cap in the spider pocket, downward movement ofthe rod and consequently counterclockwise movement of the lever |12 is arrested sothat the extension |13 is retained in the pathcf' the abutment |11 whereby a. feeding movement of this lever under the influence of spring 13 isprecluded. No end, therefore, is delivered to a spider pocket in which an end is already positioned.

The machine of this invention also makes provision for assurance against the possibility 01E-a can body being delivered into the turret without a corresponding end positioned in the turret for assembly with the body. Should any spider pocket fail to be supplied with a can end, whichbody without any superposed end were elevated into position to be operated upon by the seaming rolls, the can body would be jammed and distorted by these rolls, it could not be freed from the seaming chuckby the knock-outdevice, and a jam in the machine and alsoconsiderable spilling of the can contents in the vacuum cham-i ber would result.A To obviate such diiiculties my machine has provision for automatically stopping the machine as a whole whenever a spider pocket is not supplied with a can end before the entrance of that pocket into the vacuum chamber.

aefemng now to Figs. 2, '4, and 11, it wm be' 4observed that beyond the can end supplying station a second detector comprising a feeler finger |18 carried by an arm |19 mounted upon the upper end of a vertically reciprocable post is arranged with the feeler finger in vertical alignment with a spider socket. 'Ihe lower end of the post |8| is pivotally connected at |82 withv a. lever |83 fulcrumed at |84 and provided with a cam follower |86 which is urged against its actuating cam |86 by a tractile spring |81. h

As the spider pockets are brought into position beneath the feeler finger |18, the contour of the cam |86 permits the post |8| vand the detectorv carried thereby to be lowered by a spring |81 into the pocket. If the pocket contains a can end as it should, downward movement of -the feeler finger is arrested by the can end and the operation of the machine is permitted to continue, the detector being lifted by the cam |86 from engagement with the can end prior to the next forward step of the turret spider.

Should there be no can end' in the pocket, however, downward movement of the detector and the lever |88 will continue, causing a thrust -member |88 carried by the rod |89 suspended from the lever |83 to engage and depress anv opposed thrust member |9|, thereby opening an electric circuit to cause the supply current to the main driving motor I8 to be shut oif. The entire machine is thus stopped so that the operator may remedy the defect by` manually inserting a can end in the empty pocket before the machine is again started. I

The control of the main motor by the detector may be eected through any suitable arrangement, but in Fig. 11 I have illustrated diagrammatically one suitable arrangement for this purpose. In this figure the main supply circuit to the motor I8 comprising the lead lines |92 and |93 includes a switch member |94 winch is urged to open position by a spring |95. Al shunt circuit |96 including a primary winding |91 induces through a secondary winding |98 a current in -a secondary circuit in which is included a switch |99 controlled by the thrust member |9.|, and an electroma'gnt 20| adapted to hold the switch member |84 in closed position. Upon depression ofthe thrust member 9| by the opposed thrust member |98 under the inuence -of spring |91 the switch |99 is opened thereby deenergizing the electrpmagnet to permit breaking of the main circuit by the, opening of the switch |94, thereby stopping the drive motor.

'u .It will be apparent, therefore, that the machine is automatically controlled so as to prevent the feeding of a can end into a spider pocket'4 which already contains an end, and also to prevent the entrance of a spider pocket into the vacuum chamber unless it is supplied-with a can end. The machine is accordingly capable of operating continuously irrespective of whether canbodies are conveyed continuously to it or not, but in the event of failure of a can end to .be positioned in a pocket the machine is immediately.

stopped.

In order that the operator may always be aware of the amount of vacuum being produced in the vacuum chamber, this chamber is equipped with a. vacuum gauge 202 (Fig. 1) mounted at any con-1 veniently visible position. In order that the machine may be turned over by hand for test and inspection purposes, a hand wheel (not shown) is mounted at onesideof the machine on the .projecting end of a shaft 203 (Fig. 1) upon which is fixed a worm 204 meshing with a worm wheel 205 on the main vertical drive shaft 24.

The operation of the machine having been explained in connection with the' foregoing descrip- 'tion of the parts, a brief rsum only of 'the operation will be given.

'Ihe lled can bodies are brought in in succes- -sion by tlie continuously operating feeding conveyor 34 from which they are transferred laterally by the pusher 36 on to the elevating chuck .being controlled by the chuck |62 from which they are transferred by the pusher |64 on to the delivery conveyor |66. The spider turret pockets are supplied in succession with can ends by the can end feeding mechanism, the operation of which is temporarily stopped whenever a pocket which-already contains a can end is brought into registration with the feed mechanism.

Should a pocketvfail -to be supplied lwith a can end, this fact is automatically determined by the machine which is immediately shut oil.Iv in that event so as to preclude the entrance of a can body into the vacuum chamber unless a'corresponding can end is in seamed on to the bottom.

-The details of construction illustrated and described are obviously capable of Jvarious modications without departing from the spi'rit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim: 1 1. In a can closing machine, the combination of a spider adapted' to receive can bodies, a continuously operating conveyor, a pusher movable transversely of the conveyor, a can chuck movablevertically toward and from said spider, and means operatingv said pusher and said chuck in such timed relation that a-can body is moved from the position to be double conveyor throughfa'curved path onto said chuck while still traveling with the' conveyor. and is;v

2. In acanclosing machine, the combination of a rotatable turret spider, a can closing mechanism positioned in cooperative relation-tosaidl spider, a chuck for inserting can bodiesinto said spider, a chuck upon which the can bodies are removed from said spider, a feed-in conveyor in .proximity to said first chuck, a delivery conveyor in proximity to said second chuck, a pair of pushers, a reciprocatory slide Acarrying said pushers,

and means for actuating said slide to transfer a can body from said feed-in conveyor to said first veyor, means for raising and lowering said chucks lao in synchronism, and means including a slide provided With a plurality'of pushers for transferring can bodies from the feed-in conveyor to said first chuck and from said Asecond chuck to said delivery conveyor.

4. In a can end closing machine, the combination of a spider provided with pockets for the reception of can bodies and ends, a can closing mechanism, means for feeding can bodies and ends to said pockets, means for preventing the feeding of a can end to a pocket in which an end is already disposed, an electric motor for driving the spider and feeding means, andmeans for stopping the motor to prevent the delivery of a body to the yclosing mechanism in the event that the pocket in which said body -is disposed contains no end for attachment thereto.

5. In a can closing machine, an intermittently operated turret provided with can body receiving pockets, a c ontinuously operating conveyor for delivering can ibodies into proximity to said' tur ret, and means for moving said bodies by a oontinuous motion through a curved path from said conveyor to said turret without abriiptchangein speed or direction, whereby spilling o f the-body; contents is obviated, saidmeans including a :reciprocating member for changing the direction of travel of said bodies during the advancing movement thereof by said conveyor.

6. In a can closing machine, the combination of a'rotatable turret providedwith can body ref ceiving pockets, a continuously operating .conveyor, a laterally movable pusher, a vertically movable chuck, and means for operating said conveyor, pusher and chuck in such timed relation as to transfer can bodiesv by a continuous movement from said conveyor to said turret by moving said bodies horizontally in a curved path away from said transferrer and `the'n elevating said bodies through a curved path into said spider, said movements being `effected without abrupt change in speed or direction of the bodies,

Vwhereby spilling of the body contents is obviated.

7. In a can closing machine, the combination of an intermittently operated turret provided with can receiving pockets, acontinuously operating conveyor for conveying can bodies to said turret, and means for transferring said bodies from said conveyor to said turret, said means including a reciprocatory member operable im timed relation with the advancing movement of the bodies for gradually changing the direction of such movement soas to direct the bodies in a continuous curved path into the turret pockets Without abrupt change in speed or direction whereby to obviate spilling of the contents of said bodies.

WIILIAM CAMERON. 

